A/N: After a month away, I'm back! For you today is an all-new chapter, an all-new title, and (maybe in another week or so; I have never had much success in my attempts to draw RWBY accurately) some all new cover art! I don't know exactly how emails regarding updates work, but if they send them out for when I update chapters already published, then you will be getting several emails because I went through and edited each of the first five chapters for grammar and spelling mistakes as well as putting a little extra polish on certain scenes and clearing up any inconsistencies that I noticed already sprouting. This is mainly for the benefit of new readers; I don't think there is anything there that would necessitate reading it through again (unless, of course, you want to. Then by all means, feel free to do so!)

Итак, вернёмся к нашим баранам…

Chapter 6: Hungerer of Knowledge

Only the earliest rays of the morning sun were appearing over the horizon as the airship flew away from the city of Vale and towards the prestigious Beacon Academy, slowly climbing silently as the powerful engine pushed the ship forward through the air towards its destination. A flock of birds followed alongside the ship, enjoying the relaxed ease that came from flying in its wake.

Apart from the pilots, locked away in the cockpit to the front, the four young women were the only ones aboard. Blake sat in a row by herself, looking out the window. She was just able to see the reflections of her…teammates…as they each carried on by themselves, absorbed in their own inner monologues. She didn't care for that word, teammates. She had a teammate once, a partner, and he had hurt her. Will these women hurt me as well? she asked herself. She turned the question over and over in her mind, trying to come to an answer. She couldn't. She didn't know enough to make a decision about it yet. But my instinct says that yes, they easily could.

Each of them seemed more likely to hurt themselves though, if she was to be honest. They certainly all seemed to have problems of their own. She touched her bow gingerly, making sure it was still solidly in place. It wouldn't do any good for them to know who she truly was. What she truly was. Not now, not ever.

Her hidden ears twitched ever so slightly, and she focused on the noise she could just barely hear. Humming, she realized. She tilted her head to the side as she looked away from the window briefly, towards the three other passengers on the Bullhead. Ruby was pacing the aisle repeatedly, Weiss sat by herself at the end of a row, and Yang was sprawled over several chairs, laying on her back while shadow boxing the air above her. The source of the humming was…Weiss Schnee. A familiar name among the Faunus, and not for her prodigious musical talents. She was sitting, eyes closed, legs crossed and hands neatly folded in her lap. Blake returned her gaze to the window, looking at the reflection of the heiress in the small window. She didn't know much about the girl, to be honest. Most of what she had heard was propaganda from underground news reports. She didn't look as threatening as she had been described. Every bit as imperious- that certainly couldn't be denied- but not nearly as imperial. In person, she looked…frail, almost. Like a fine Mistral vase, beautiful but delicate. She certainly didn't fit the boogeyman persona that Blake had heard used to describe her throughout her entire life. Back on the rooftop, she thought, she had been the most reluctant to join us. Can I blame her? We're not a very reputable crew. Blake sighed quietly and flicked her eyes in turn to the reflection of each of the other two women. Ruby, the Assassin. Yang, the thrill-seeker.

Her eyes unfocused, causing the other women to blur. She shook her head to clear her mind, and met her own eyes. And me, the wildcard.

Ruby, the Assassin. She decided to focus on the scythe-wielder next. Was that description of her fair, or bromidic? Earned, or simply assigned? Was it fair to define a woman, to distill down her entire essence, to judge her entirely, with just three words? Just take it one word at a time. Ruby…Blake nodded slightly. Yes, that fits. Red clothes, red tips to her hair, the flower emblem on her belt. But the Assassin? She didn't know much about the secretive order, only what she had read in a few older books that she had to assume were truthful, but she knew what the word meant at least. Assassin. Murderess. A chill ran down her spine. Killer. Ruby hadn't killed that woman back at the club, even in self-defense. She had stabbed her, true, but she had clearly been alive when the police loaded her into the ambulance and led her away. Ruby hadn't killed Weiss, and they were supposed to be enemies…

Oh well, Blake thought. There would more time to worry about that later. For now, there was only one more for her to study. Yang, the thrill-seeker. Maybe the joker would be the better qualifier for the chippy blonde girl. She had taunted Junior during their fight, and then, on the rooftop, she was so quick with the jokes. Those terrible, terrible puns. Despite her thoughts, Blake found her lips curving upwards in a smile. They may have been terrible, but there was something there. The honest delivery, or perhaps the clear excitement. As terrible as they were, she believed in them, and that was half the battle. What was her horse in this race? She had said she was looking for someone, but hadn't said who it was. Join the club, she thought wryly. We play hide and seek all week.

Blake made a mental list of what she knew about her companions, one by one. Weiss Schnee: proud, arrogant and frightened of failure. For some reason, she's willing to work with an Assassin. Ruby Rose: eager to please others, uncertain of what to do and a bit of a showoff. For some reason, she's willing to work with a Templar. Yang…Blake pursed her lips as she realized she hadn't gotten the last girl's full name. Oh well. She had said she was Ruby's sister, so it must be Rose as well. Funny, though, that they didn't really look very similar. Yang Rose: uses humor to throw others off balance. Compared to all the questions she had about each of them, the one or two facts were paltry.

There was a slight jolt as the ship extended the landing gear and came to a rest on the school grounds. Blake hadn't realized they were as close as they were. Either that, or she had been lost in thought for longer than she had realized. A prerecorded message began to play as the doors hissed open, and Blake stood and joined Ruby, Weiss and Yang in exiting the airship. The wide-open area the ship had landed in was well-lit by several lampposts. Standing in the center of one of the pools of light was a tall woman in a high-waisted pencil skirt, black boots and a purple cape. She had her arms crossed, but was otherwise standing strictly at attention, her back perfectly straight. Blake focused on her eyes through the woman's glasses, trying to get a reading of the woman's intentions. Whoever it was, it seemed she had been waiting for them, and that Ruby and Weiss recognized her. Weiss gave her a salute as she approached, and Blake heard a name: Professor Goodwitch.

"About time you've returned, Miss Schnee, Miss Rose," she said, apparently angry at having been kept waiting. "I see you've brought some strays along with you…it's just as well. Professor Ozpin would like to meet with you again. Follow me, ladies." Blake felt her cheeks redden at the word strays, and hoped no one would notice her embarrassment. She met Yang's glance, and the blonde shrugged as she followed Professor Goodwitch away from the bullhead and towards the clock tower that dominated the central square of the school yard.

Yang groaned internally as she threw another punch, and moved her right hand to rub the opposite shoulder. Her semblance may allow her to channel the pain from getting hit into boosting her own strength, but it didn't do anything to actually lessen the effects. It still left her to suffer from every hit that landed. Despite the relative ease with which she had dismantled Junior, he had still managed to lay a decent attack on her. Her adrenaline and semblance had worn off now, and her shoulder was killing her.

She experimentally threw a rapid series of jabs with her left hand, testing the extent of the damage to her shoulder. Satisfied that she would recover after a good sleep, she returned to her shadow boxing as she lay stretched across several chairs on the nearly empty ship.

Beacon Academy, she thought to herself. She had dreamed of attending, a long time ago. A lifetime ago. Back on Patch, it had been a common dream of most of the children that she had known growing up. Attend Beacon, train hard, fight harder and then travel the world. That was the dream. When had it changed? She knew the answer to her own question. It changed the day that I found her picture in my dad's old yearbook. It changed the day I realized I had been lied to my entire life.

She forgot for a second that she was laying down and tried to bob her head as she would if she was actually fighting, resulting in her hitting it against the back of the chair her head rested on. She laughed at her stupidity and shifted her attention away from her mother to the sister that had shown up unexpectedly.

Ruby, what happened to you after I left? You barely look like the kid sister I remember. And what's with all this talk of secret orders of assassins that their family was a part of? How had that never been mentioned at the dinner table growing up? Her internal voice shifted to imitate her father. 'This is some good turkey, isn't it? Oh, by the way, you're all part of a secret society dedicated to fighting injustice. Could you pass the gravy, please?' It all seemed so ridiculous.

But, she couldn't argue with what she had seen with her own two eyes. She had seen her sister, suspiciously not residing in safety with their uncle, swinging a weapon taller than she was around with skill before using some hidden knife on her wrist to stab some woman. There had been so much blood…it's a wonder that the girl survived.

That thought sobered Yang up. She didn't like to think about things like that. It was much better to focus on the here, and the now, rather than the future or what could've been. Much better. Much easier. So what was the here and now? It all seemed so clear on the rooftop, she thought. It hadn't been the most thought-out plan of all time, but we seemed to agree on a purpose. She thought about the three other women that she currently shared the cabin with. "Yeah, we're a real bang-up team here," she muttered under her breath. Sure, they had joined hands on the rooftop and shouted out some empty words about working together. Together, they had fled as soon as the police had left the club across the street and given them the opportunity to leave without being seen. Together, they had run through the streets of the city, away from the slums and towards the station. Together, they had paid the airfare and boarded the ship they were currently on. Together, but in silence. Together in body; alone in spirit.

The silence had bothered Yang more than anything else. On the rooftop, we agreed to help each other, even if we each had our own reason to do it. God knows I did, at least. Maybe it was too much to expect us to all be friends…scratch that, it had certainly been too much to expect us to instantly become friends. But we didn't say…anything. Ruby didn't say anything. That change in her sister was perhaps the scariest of all the ones she had seen. Ruby had always been prone to chattering when she was nervous, or with new people. She shouldn't have shut up the entire time, but instead she hadn't said a word. Can I blame her? Yang asked herself. I did abandon her, left her behind without a 'How do you do?'.

The ship settled on the ground, and Yang was quick to stand up and exit into the early morning. Standing several yards away was a strict-looking woman, tall even without the heels she was wearing, who seemed to be waiting for them.

"Good morning, Professor Goodwitch," Weiss said as they approached, clicking her boots together as she threw a smart salute.

"About time you've returned, Miss Schnee, Miss Rose. I see you've brought some strays along with you… It's just as well. Professor Ozpin would like to meet with you again. Follow me, ladies." Yang caught Blake's eye, and she shrugged as she moved into step to follow Goodwitch away from the bullhead. Too late to back out now. I guess we'll get to see the wizard.

"Who are your new friends?" Goodwitch asked.

"That's my sister," Ruby said cheerfully, throwing her arm over Yang's shoulder. "And that one is Blake."

"And how did you meet them?"

"Well, we were looking for Roman Torchwick, as you sent us off to, and we went to this club owned by someone who apparently keeps track of stuff like that, and there was a fight, and then we ran up to the rooftop to avoid the police, and then-"

"Quiet," Goodwitch said harshly. "That's enough." There was a pause in the conversation before she continued. "I'm sorry, you were only answering the question that I had asked you. I shouldn't have yelled at you in that way. You can tell Professor Ozpin the full story. I've heard enough. You weren't able to find Torchwick, I assume?"

Yikes, Yang thought. And I thought Weiss was crabby. If this is where she's from, it's no wonder where she got it. I used to want to come here?

"Regretfully, no, we were unable to," Weiss said. "But we have a promising lead, at least." The women reached the clock tower and walked up the steps to the main entrance, going through the door and stepping into the elevator. Professor Goodwitch hit the button to take them to the top floor, and the doors slid shut. Yang started to dance to the music coming from the speakers, pointedly ignoring the stares from the other women. Chill out and relax a little, ladies. Kick back and have some fun every once in a while. It isn't the end of the world.

The elevator came to a stop and chimed as the door opened, showing a large office with a desk with a chair on each side of it, overlooking the schoolgrounds and, far off into the distance, the city of Vale. Behind the desk, mug in one hand and a cane grasped tightly in the other, sat an older man with grey hair.

"Thank you, Professor Goodwitch. You may leave us, please. We'll talk more after your classes for the day have finished." If the woman was upset at being dismissed so easily, it didn't show on her face or through her posture. She bowed her head politely at the man and reentered the elevator, crossing her hands in front of her as the doors closed and she was lowered back to the lobby. "Now then," the man continued. "I see we have two new faces here. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Professor Ozpin. I am the headmaster at this academy."

Yang had heard the name before, as had most of the citizens of Vale. The headmaster at Beacon Academy was responsible for training the next generation of hunters and huntresses. He was the one in charge of keeping the city safe. But she had never met the man before, and was a little underwhelmed by his appearance. It seemed to be a mix of opposites: his hair was wild, but his clothing neat. The cane at his side suggested an infirmity, but his voice and posture betrayed no such weakness.

"You know my name now, if you wouldn't mind returning the favor…" he continued before trailing off, giving them the chance to answer him.

"Blake Belladonna," the raven-haired girl to her side said.

"And I'm Yang Xiao-Long. I'm Ruby's big sister," she said loudly, extending her hand forward to shake the headmaster's. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Blake wrinkle her forehead in confusion, but she didn't dwell on it for long. Ozpin chuckled lightly and placed his mug on his desk, reaching over it to shake the blonde's proffered hand.

"And how did you come to be here?" he asked. He rested his elbows on the desk and folded his hands together under his chin. "I'm sure there is a story here. I sent these two out to find me one criminal, and they come back with two upstanding young ladies. At least, I can only assume that description fits you…" He smiled at his small joke and looked at the women through his dark glasses.

The ladies, in turn, stood around confused, either unsure of where to start or simply unwilling to be the first to speak. Finally, it was Ruby who decided to step forward. "Professor Ozpin, Weiss and I entered into the city and began to search for the man known as Junior. We had come to an agreement that finding out what he might know would be the best course of action to pursue. We arrived at his nightclub in time to find my sister," here Ruby gestured to the blonde who stood beside her, "throw Junior through a window. We became guilty by association with her, so he and two of his goons attacked us, forcing us to defend ourselves. We did so, but drew the attention of the police in the process. Also, while kind enough to keep Junior alive, Yang didn't really leave him in any condition to speak, so we couldn't get anything out of him…" She trailed off, watching the man who only a few hours ago she had been determined to kill, wondering what his response would be.

"I see," he said simply. He paused and took a sip from his mug. "I must confess I now fear for the safety of all glass on this campus. It seems barging through windows is a family tradition," he continued on, bringing back to the young girl's mind the window that she had smashed earlier. Ruby looked around the office, noticing for the first time that it seemed to have already been repaired. Strange that he would be able to have that done so quickly, the assassin thought to herself. How did he get a crew here so late in the night? The voice of the professor interrupted her musings, and she listened as he mentioned that only explained one of the two new faces in front of him. She continued her explanation of the night's events.

"Well, after our fight, we were standing around wondering what to do, and trying to make sense of things when we heard a voice from an alley telling us to meet her on the rooftop because she might be able to help us. When we got up there, we found Blake, who has apparently seen Roman Torchwick recently. Then we decided to come back here." Ruby finished the brief recap of what had occurred since they had first left the headmaster's office.

"I see," he repeated. "And what do you plan to do now? Will you continue your hunt? Or will you challenge me and return to the ones who sent you?"

"We want to know more," cut in Weiss, before Ruby had a chance to answer the challenge Ozpin had leveled against her. "Blake said she saw Roman Torchwick, and then she told us that he had a very distinctive symbol on his jacket. This symbol," she said, taking off her own jacket and pointing to the Templar cross emblazoned on it. "You aren't telling us the full story, Professor."

The headmaster was silent for several minutes, staring at the white-haired girl in front of him. After an agonizing wait, he nodded and began to explain. "The young often view the world in terms of black and white, good and evil, right and wrong. There is often no middle ground. You are with someone, or you are against them. This is not necessarily wrong, but it is…limiting, to say the least. Certainly, there are times where there can be only one right answer, but more often than not right and wrong is simply a matter of perspective. How often do the wrongdoers see themselves as the villains? Are they not the heroes of their own story?" He turned his attention here mainly to the two unaffiliated women. "I do not know how much you two know of the forces at play here, but Ruby and Weiss belong to rival organizations that have for centuries dedicated themselves to the eradication of the other." Ruby noticed that he didn't include himself as a member, but didn't have time to question him about it before he continued. "Do either of them view themselves as the villain? As the enemy? As the one who needs to be stopped for the good of humanity?" He spread his hands out wide to the side while speaking. "No. Both Templars and assassins view themselves as the only answer for the ills the world suffers through, when there is a third option present. It is true that Roman Torchwick is of the Templar Order. That does not make him a man worthy of my protection. Look out the windows, please, and tell me what you see." He did not stand himself, but simply spun in his chair to look out at the school.

Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang moved to stand next to the window, gazing out of it. "I see Vale," Yang said.

"Forever Fall," answered Blake.

"Beacon Academy," said Weiss.

I see…all of those things, yeah, but that isn't what he wants. What else is there? Ruby's eyes flipped between the city in the distance and the buildings that made up the combat school, wondering what Ozpin was playing towards. "I see all the students," she said.

"Ah, exactly. Students who have come here to learn, to better themselves so as to protect the people they care about. Incidentally the same reason, I think, that each of you find yourselves here before me right now. It was my intention for young Miss Rose and Miss Schnee to realize that, despite their upbringing, they can bridge the gap that divides them and work towards a common goal. It is my intention to teach these students the same thing. Unity, togetherness, that is the third option. That is the gospel that I preach." He finished speaking and the girls moved away from the window, Ruby lingering just a bit longer than the others, distracted as she was by a group of four students making their way across the campus, their members unknowingly highlighting the point that Professor Ozpin was making. One girl with orange hair was excitedly dashing from place to place, apparently testing the patience of a boy dressed in green as she tried to drag him along with her. The second pair, meanwhile, was made up of two warriors with a sword and shield but entirely different postures. The woman stood straight and tall, walking forward proudly, while the man slouched forward with his head down.

"How do we know we can trust you?" Blake asked timidly, her eyes twitching towards the elevator. "You claim that there is no right or wrong, and with the same breath ask us to follow your vision for the future because it is the only correct one."

"I did not say that there is no right or wrong. I said there is more to it than that. With time, you may come to a better understanding of the light I shine forth. As far as trusting me goes, at this point in time, you can't. But if you agree to work with me, I will give you reason to. Now then, where did you see Roman Torchwick?"

"He was with the White Fang."

"A known terrorist organization. Well then, perhaps you should focus your attention on them, and hope it leads you to your ultimate prey. In the meantime, you may stay here in one of the dormitories for as long as you wish. Coincidentally, we assign students into teams of four, so you will find the rooms are large enough to support you. Of course, you will need a leader if you are to fit in while you are here. Are you able to name one for yourselves, or should I do so for you?"

The four teenagers looked at each other, uncertainty clear in their eyes. "Very well," Ozpin said. "Miss Rose, I name you as the leader, at least until you can come to a clear consensus among yourselves. I'll have one of the staff here show you to your room. Rest for as long as you need to. You have your work cut out for you. Allow me some time to think before I tell you what the next course of action is. You are dismissed." He stood and extended his hand to the elevator in a clear show that they were to leave.

Weiss rested her head on the pillow, unwilling and unable to fall asleep just yet. The four teenagers had been able to find some thick curtains to hang over the windows, blocking out the light of the sun that now fully risen above the horizon, but the darkness of the dormitory did little to quell the young woman's mind.

What am I supposed to be thinking right now? she asked herself. In her opinion, altogether too much had happened in the last six hours, and she was having difficulty processing it all. Their escapades hadn't seemed to bother Blake or Yang too much; both were already fast asleep in the beds on the opposite side of the room; one of them (Yang perhaps?) was snoring heavily. Weiss couldn't sleep, though, and judging by the noise coming from the bed above her, neither could Ruby. She readied herself, afraid to ask the question she was about too, but knowing she viewed it as a necessity before she could fall asleep.

"Ruby?" she asked softly, her voice only a whisper. While there was no overt response, the movement above her stopped. "Ruby?" she asked again, slightly louder but still soft enough to not wake her new roommates. This time, she didn't have to wait long for an audible answer.

"What is it, Weiss?" came the exasperated reply from the younger girl above her.

"I have a question for you, and I want you to be honest with me," she said. "I know that we don't know each other very well, and there isn't any reason for you to do this for me, but it's important to me…" She waited for a reply, but there was none. She decided to take that as an invitation to continue.

"My father, he was a Templar, just like me. He died a few days ago." Saying it aloud made it more real to the fencer, and she had to take a moment to collect herself before continuing. "Actually, he was murdered. Assassinated. By one of you." It was an accusation, but her voice was not angry, merely determined.

"Yes. I know," Ruby replied, her voice drifting down to Weiss. "What's your question, Weiss?"

"Do you know who did it?"

A pause, then, "…Yes."

"Do you know why?"

Another, longer pause. "…Yes."

"Did they have a good reason for it?"

"Why are you asking me this, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"Please, Ruby, just answer the question."

There were a couple of shakes as the bed moved, and Ruby leaned over the edge, looking down at Weiss and meeting her eyes before answering. "They thought so, at least. But things aren't as clear now as they used to be, are they? For any of us?"

The white-haired woman nodded. "He was my father…"

Ruby swallowed nervously. "I'm sorry, Weiss. I know what it's like to lose a parent."

She shook her head. "No, you don't understand. He was my father, but I didn't love him. Not really. God, that's a terrible thing to say, isn't it? He's only been dead a few days, I should be mourning him. It isn't that I'm glad he's dead; I'm not. It's just that I'm not as hurt by it as I'm supposed to be. He never really cared for me. He didn't view me as a person. I was simply a tool he could use for his own gain." Ruby blinked, likely unsure of what to say in response to that blunt statement. I don't blame her; I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say next, Weiss thought. "I don't know why I'm even telling you this, Ruby. We're supposed to be enemies. All my life, I've been told you're out their waiting to kill me at the first opportunity. But now, it's exactly like what Professor Ozpin was saying about how there is more to the story than just right and wrong. It's like you said just now, things aren't as clear as they used to be. You've had six hours to kill me, and you haven't even tried once. If they lied to me about that, what else have they kept from me, or concealed from me? I feel like I have been lied to my entire life. I don't know what to believe anymore. I don't know what is true anymore. Do you know what I mean?"

There was only a slight pause before Ruby agreed. "Yes, Weiss, I do."

"I just want to know the truth. The truth about who my father was, and who killed him, and why I'm here. What does any of this mean?"

"What would you do if you found out the truth?" Ruby asked.

Weiss shrugged. "Honestly, Ruby, I don't know. But I'd like to have to make that decision."

Ruby pulled herself back up to the bed, her head disappearing from Weiss' line of sight. "Be careful what you wish for, Weiss. The truth can sometimes be painful."

She's right, you know, Weiss thought. Knowledge is a sword that can cut the wielder just as well as the one it's used against. Somehow, though, that reasoning didn't satisfy her anymore. That's because that's what my father used to tell me whenever I asked him anything. Now she was in a position to potentially be able to decide for herself what was appropriate and what wasn't. Nothing he had ever done had prepared her for that. "Thank you for listening, Ruby. It uh, it means a lot to me right now. I don't know why, but it does." That was an important question to ask herself. Why does it feel so good to talk to her? All night she has alternated between being a source of annoyance and one of quiet assurance; equal parts aggression and amicability. What is she to me?

"Go to sleep, Weiss. We've had a long night, and we're going to have more work to do when we wake up."

Weiss pulled her blanket up over her head, but didn't fall asleep right away. No, for a long time she lay there, listening to the snores coming over from the other side of the room and from above her, wondering what it all meant. Her final thought before succumbing to exhaustion: What is truth?